Town Square

Eddie Papa's is not to be missed

Original post made
by Oliver Heaviside, Val Vista,
on Dec 11, 2008

Eddie Papa's is on Hopyard, near Stoneridge. This place is wonderful! Regional American cuisine presented with style and flair. You'l be surprised and pleased with the menu choices, and the bar's cocktails are wonderful. I never knew a Sidecar could be so tasty.

It's been open about eight months now, and the kinks are worked out. Try, and go back for breakfast on a weekend - the breakfast menu (starting at 10 am) is as varied as the dinner menu.

Posted by Belita
a resident of Golden Eagle
on Dec 11, 2008 at 4:17 pm

I have to agree with Marcus. I was not impressed at all with the service, quality of food or prices at Eddie Papas. When I went it was like a singles club in the bar. Doesn't seem like they know what they are striving for...meat market or family dining.

Posted by Oliver Heaviside
a resident of Val Vista
on Dec 11, 2008 at 4:26 pmOliver Heaviside is a registered user.

I've gathered from other posts that Eddie's had some trouble with service early on, but I haven't had trouble in the 2-3 months I've been going. As for price, well, you get what you pay for. The Hopyard hasn't changed its menu in over ten years. The burgers there are good, and I love the beer selection, but jeez, ten years of burgers?

Can't comment on the singles aspect. Given its proximity to so many offices I can see where that might happen.

Posted by Hey Oliver!
a resident of Birdland
on Dec 11, 2008 at 8:18 pm

Not to make this a Hopyard Alehouse and Grill vs. Eddie Papa's forum, but I just returned from the 15th anniversary of the Alehouse. For the record, they have updated their menu on several occasions. The place was packed with familiar Pleasantonians! You should check out the new menu!

I love Eddie Papa's! We have been there quite a few times and every time has been a great experience. The food has been awesome, and the service has been great too. The owner and chef will walk around the restaurant and talk with the patrons. If you haven't been in awhile, try it again! Their specialized monthly menus are wonderful, and we look forward to seeing what the new "theme" is every month.

Posted by 2 cents
a resident of Amador Valley High School
on Dec 13, 2008 at 10:38 am

While I have also not had the greatest of service, the food at Eddies is just awesome! I've been there 4 times now and have loved everything I've tried. The servers though are in serious need of training. Main dishes are always showing up well before salad or appetizers are done etc..... The just seem to not understand what meal timing is about.

The Hopyard is as consistant as the day is long! Both food and service are always great. Also is kind of like the "Cheers" of Pleasanton. I had no idea they changed the menu. I will have to get by soon to check it out!

Posted by Diner
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Dec 13, 2008 at 3:17 pm

Love both the Hopyard and Eddie Papa's. They are catering to different types of dining, but both are family friendly and good food. Eddie Papa's is a breath of fresh air from all the italian and mediterranean restaurants we have in this area.

As for bad service, Pleasanton and Livermore seem to suffer from it at most restaurants.

This place easily has the best cocktails in the East Bay and they stay open a bit later (though I'd love if the bar stayed open even later). It's perfect for some pre-Aura cocktails.

The food presentation is simply terrible. Looking at their large portions on even larger plates and trying to decide if it's going to taste good is not a good way to start a meal. Pretty surprising as well considering how much they tout the fact that they have such an experienced chef as well as the owner's PF Chang's history.

The menu is ambitious and I want it to do well, but they're doing a lot of things decently rather than doing a few things really well. Hopefully, they continue to improve and get this part worked out.

Posted by Love it
a resident of Another Pleasanton neighborhood
on Dec 19, 2008 at 8:43 am

Best burger in town! Mmmm. Quite a variety on the menu. Fresh ingredients. It's something different than the ordinary Chili's or italian restaurants that have popped up all over town. And I love the fact that it is owned by a local, not a chain. 2 thumbs up for Eddie Papa's from this happy customer!

Posted by Jon
a resident of Foothill Knolls
on Dec 19, 2008 at 9:44 am

Both are good and both are owned by locals. Although I have to say I can not remember the last time I was in the Alehouse and had Otis say hello to me. That kind of service from Eddie is outstanding. I think it all depends on what you want that night. A gourmet dinner or a beer and a burger, you can't go wrong at either place. We should all eat at locally owned places more often.

Posted by Dave Johnson
a resident of Birdland
on Dec 19, 2008 at 10:16 am

Have been to Eddie Papa's several times, most recently, this past week. I'm surprised by comments on service as ours was great. Food was very good and portions were just right. The night we were there, the place was very busy, however our meals were served in a reasonable amount of time,and again, the service was outstanding.

Posted by Judy
a resident of Pleasanton Valley
on Dec 19, 2008 at 10:46 am

I love Eddie Papa's. Yes I had trouble with service once! I as smart enough to let Eddie know what happened and never had a problem after that. If you don't say anything, they don't know. They appreciate your comments. Food is aways terrific.

Posted by Frank
a resident of Vineyard Hills
on Dec 19, 2008 at 4:28 pm

The burgers at Eddie Papa's are great - especially the rolls! They are not your ordinary Safeway mass-produced styrofoam that other places serve their burgers on. I think they get them from Bibiane downtown. One of my other favorites!

Posted by A. Regular from San Leandro!
a resident of another community
on Dec 20, 2008 at 12:07 pm

Eddie Papa's IS a great place. There are many menu choices that are a hit with me every time. The service is very friendly and inviting, with Ed, Chef Neil and his staff at your attention, always with a smile.

The Hopyard Ale joint is not as great as described on this thread. I do appreciate a large seleciton of brew on tap...that is great. The burgers, also great. The REST of the food is a joke!!! To be fair, I have not been back in several months for the NEW menu...so hopefully, the glop with boiled rubberbands they called Clam Chowder is GONE or it's much better, and while I am on "soups", I hope the ORANGE GREASE COVERED Tortilla Soup has improved. Another FAIL was their lowly Tri-Tip Sandwich...so friggin' dry, a real downer. I am going to check back in with them...and see what's new about that new menu.

Eddie Papa's...a fun, friendly place that I go back to over and over on work/weekday lunches!!! AWESOME!

My family was just commenting how much we enjoy Eddie Papa's. The menu is interesting and they feature a different region's cuisine each month. With cotton candy served at the end of the meal, I think it is a fun family restaurant. The fact that the owner comes around to each table is an added bonus that I appreciate. Eddie Papa's is a great place to take a group who have varying tastes. The atmosphere is spacious and lends itself to lingering. The Hopyard is another favorite of ours for a quick lunch. It tends to be a bit loud and is not somewhere I would go for a leisurely dinner with family.

Posted by Just a resident
a resident of Birdland
on Dec 21, 2008 at 6:24 pm

Okay, my boyfriend and I had lunch here as I work across the street and were not impressed with the service or the meal. We knew we would never come back just by looking at the limited menu. We didn't like the food and our water glasses were dirty. We agreed not to eat there again. Sorry.

Posted by Edward "Eddie' Westmoreland
a resident of Birdland
on Dec 29, 2008 at 7:54 pm

Hi folks,
Let me introduce myself, I am the "Eddie" of Eddie Papa's American Hangout and truly appreciate all of the comments and feedback posted by each you regarding Oliver Heaviside's original post on 12/11. Eddie Papa's American Hangout has neved intended to be a competitor of the Hopyard Alehouse and I am actually quite pleased to be compared with them. Otis Nostrand opened his place 15 years ago and successfully filled a niche within Pleasanton as evidenced by its popularity after all these years. 15 years qualifies as an "institution" in the restaurant business. Eddie Papa is my grandfather and the restaurant was designed to celebrate the various regional food and beverage cultures of American while at the same time capture the warmth and genuine hospitality my grandfather creates each time someone visits his home. Everything we make is from scratch, including our dressings, soups, and sauces. Our proteins are all hormone free all natural and never frozen. We also have our own pastry chef, Kristina Lindgren, who bakes all of our desserts and foccacia bread. Eddie Papa's was designed to fit a different niche, one located somewhere above the formula frozen food driven chains (Chili's, Applebees, TGIF, etc.) and below the over priced insincere table clothed restaurants in the area.
To Oliver, Anne, "love to eat out", Diner, Timothy T, Love it, Jon, Dave Johnson, Judy, Frank, 'A regular from San Leandro", Cindy and those of you who are already fans, I say thank you from the deepest part of my heart. After 10 months in business, we have exceeded our expectations and look forward to a great 2009. We thank you for your support and loyality.
To Marcus, Belita, Lo, Jeb, 2 cents, Mike Williams, "just a resident" and those of you who have left disappointed, I am truly and genuinely sorry we did not meet your expectations. I have never been a fan of excuses, so I will never offer any. I only promise to work extremely hard everyday to coach my front of house staff, to challenge the kitchen to produce the best food they possible can, and to always show appreciation to the guests of our restaurant. Please come back, introduce yourself and allow me the opportunity to restore your faith in my operation. If I am not in, please ask for my partner Chef Neil Marquis or manager Katie Blecka so they can ensure a great dining experience.
I hope you all continue to support our local restaurants, it's a sad day when places like the Pleasanton Hotel go out of business. I encourage you to keep providing feedback. In person feedback works best, but I promise to always respond to any and all who take the time to contact me.
And finally to Cholo, I am sorry to report I have been unable to find a recipe for Armidillo and Beet Stew.

Posted by Oliver Heaviside
a resident of Val Vista
on Jan 2, 2009 at 9:16 pmOliver Heaviside is a registered user.

I agree, Neil, roasted Armadillo would be better. Cholo seemed to want it stewed with beets. Vut if you roasted it, you could use the leftovers for Roast Armadillo Hash & Eggs on the breakfast menu, for those picky customers and their special orders. ;-)

Posted by A. Regular from San Leandro! Bald, Glasses, Goatee (Actually, it's called a "Van Dyke") Now, a Pl
a resident of another community
on Mar 4, 2009 at 10:31 am

Just popping back in, and was glad to see Ed W. and Chef Neil's posts.

Again, I love this place and it's people. I eat here AT LEAST once a week, and often try and tow along a "newbee" or two from my office to try it out. So far you are battin' 1000 Eddie Papa's, as every first timer has been pleasantly impressed, and have returned.

As a matter of fact, it's Wednesday...and I am coming over for lunch and a pint; Double-D Crew in the HOUSE (Dave and other Dave). A big shout also to Matt at the bar, and the rest of the staff I know by name; Gloria - Daniel - Charisee (sp?) - Marisa - Steve and all the other friendly faces in the house.

Thank You again for the Good Times everyone!

Dave a.k.a. A. Regular from San Leandro! Bald, Glasses, Goatee (Actually, it's called a "Van Dyke") Now, a Pliny if you please. :)

I have been to Eddie Pappa's many times and I love it. It is great that Ed and Neil "work the room" to make people feel comfortable. The variety in the menu always gives me a choice no matter my mood. My favorite though is the bacon cheeseburger with really crisp bacon. I do get confused by the many drinks but I am simple minded and usually end up with single malt scotch. Tomorrow I am being taken to lunch anyplace that I want in Pleasanton by a Realtor who owes me and I choose Eddie Pappa's. See you tomorrow Neil.

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